Schools labor tiff seemingly settled

San Francisco school officials and the teachers union put the finishing touches on a tentative contract agreement earlier this week staving off a threatened strike and easing what had been tense times in the district.

The agreement, if approved by teachers through a mail-in ballot, would help the district address an expected $113 million budget shortfall over the next two years.

It would mean a shorter school year for students because of four furlough days this year and next — a de facto pay cut for teachers.

San Francisco Chronicle

Union President Dennis Kelly

The teachers union — in return — negotiated some changes to working conditions, including an additional hour of duty-free preparation time for elementary school teachers.

With the concessions firmly in place, the district has promised to rescind all but 195 of the 700 teacher pink slips mailed in March, and about half the 180 teachers aid layoff notices as well.

Putting the bargaining table sniping behind, district and union officials once again turned their attention back to Sacramento to challenge state officials who could be looking at even more cuts to education.

“The sacrifices made by San Francisco’s public school educators will go a long way to help ensure our students continue to receive a quality education, and the services that they need to succeed,” said United Educators of San Francisco President Dennis Kelly. “But make no mistake, if the lawmakers in Sacramento continue to make painful cuts to education and vital public services, we will put a generation of students at risk of falling permanently behind. Sacramento must not be allowed to continue down this road.”